I was lucky I didn’t say anything too cheeky before Princess Anne’s eight-word comment

The is a highlight in the sporting calendar, but it can also be a minefield of potential faux pas for attendees. This was nearly the case for starter Robbie Supple, who came perilously close to offending Princess Anne. Supple, a regular at , often finds himself rubbing shoulders with due to his role.

Last year's saw him cross paths with Princess Anne, the sister of and the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II. As he made his way to watch clinch the Gold Cup for the second consecutive year, Supple almost put his foot in it in spectacular fashion. "Even this year, when I was walking up the steps for the Gold Cup, everything was looking good," he recounted to the in 2024.



"I was on the second step, and I heard a gentleman's voice go, 'Would you like some advice on how to do this?' "It ran through my mind, 'You cheeky git.' But before I could say anything, I looked to the side and there's Princess Anne stood beside me! She said, 'I don't understand why the jockeys don't comply'. I replied, 'They're under pressure, and they do their best'.

I thought it was lucky I didn’t say anything too cheeky!” Princess Anne, a regular attendee at one of the most significant jump meets in horse racing, was once again present this year. She first appeared on Thursday, accompanied by her daughter, Zara Tindall - a Team GB representative and silver medallist in equestrian at the London 2012 Olympics - and son-in-law Mike Tindall. Horse racing is a family affair for the Princess Royal, considering her first husband, Mark Phillips, bagged medals for Great Britain in two separate Summer Games, reports .

Her current spouse, Timothy Laurence, initially served as her Equerry, a role typically associated with an attendant responsible for a high-profile individual's horses. Former jumps jockey Supple has also found himself in the spotlight at this renewal for all the wrong reasons following a string of unsuccessful attempts to start races on the first try. Several races necessitated two and sometimes three attempts to align the horses for a fair start, with starter Supple being criticised by some for not allowing the horses to go - insisting they approach in a reasonable canter without breaking into a gallop.

Standing starts were often implemented, much to the dismay of punters. Nevertheless, the festival regular would probably prefer the disapproval of some racegoers over provoking the wrath of a Royal any day - and he nearly ended up on the wrong side of Princess Anne..